Redemption
by lynalexandria
Summary: Olivia and Fitz both fell for each other hard and fast, but it seems like people just don't want to see them together. She's been avoiding him for a while but now they're together at the same hotel and in the same position. ONE SHOT


**NSFW**

* * *

'I need more shiitake mushrooms, stat!' Olivia barked as she powered through her small kitchen area, wiping a few beads of sweat away using the sleeve of her pure white chef's coat.

The judges looked down from their spot in their high seats and jotted down a couple of things, she had to assume it was about her technique and method, but she only smiled back at them as best she could. She always lost points on her 'style' but, this time, she was upping her ante. She and her entire staff were in tip top shape for the competition. They had even invested in matching outfits to look more like a team.

'Yes, chef!' Harrison chimed back as he rushed back to the ingredients table to grab what she needed.

The world of young chefs was small and went mostly unnoticed to the public's eye, but the sport itself was still tough. Olivia was the best thing the east coast had seen in a long time and that was even without formal training. She had everyone from Mississippi to Maine rooting for her and she was trying her best not to let them down.

While Olivia was from New York, both of her parents were from Louisiana and she had been raised on mostly southern, cajun food. She had prepared her first pot of gumbo at the age of 4 and her grandmothers were teaching her how to stir fry vegetables when she was 5. Nobody forced her to sit in the kitchen all day but she enjoyed it. She had an odd love for food and the way it was made. Her favorite part, though, was how it brought people together. She could recall days when her parents were mad enough to nearly strangle each other but all of their fussing stopped once she put dinner on the table.

She had worked hard for everything she had accomplished and nobody could take her achievements from her. But, Olivia wanted more. Olivia wanted it all. She wanted people to think of her name when they thought about people like Chef Emeril or Gordon Ramsey. She wasn't going to stop until her dreams came true.

Winning this competition could be the start that she needed. The grand prize was $50,000 in cash and she had big plans for it. _Very_ big plans. She had been cooking her heart out against other people in the contest for the past 2 months, and now there was only 3 people left in the competition. She was the only woman to make it to the semi final rounds and the only African American to ever go past the quarter finals. She had a lot riding on her shoulders.

Olivia snatched the bowl of mushrooms from Harrison. She didn't mean any harm but they had literally 45 more seconds left on the clock and she still needed to brown them before placing them on the plate. Both of the other competitors were finished and she knew it was a bad look to still be preparing things but that didn't matter to her. As long as the finished product was good, then she knew she'd be alright.

While the others had hired help, Olivia relied on her relatives. It wasn't that she couldn't afford to bring any other chefs on but, cooking had always been a family affair with the Popes and she didn't want to change that. The only people she allowed behind the stove with her was her cousin, Harrison Wright, and her sister Deadra. She was the oldest of all of them and had taught them how to cook so she knew they could handle her style. The sponsors of the competition had also loaned them 3 extra staff members but she didn't use them at all. Her specific instructions to them, actually, was to not touch anything and to not even breathe in her air. They were all currently cowering in a corner as they waited on the buzzer to sound.

'Concentrate, Liv.' Deadra said as she used the rag in her apron to wipe a few more beads of sweat off of Olivia's head.

'Shut up, Dee.' Olivia hissed nervously as her stomach began to ache. She could see the timer out of the corner of her eye but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She took a few more deep breaths as she quickly spread her homemade sauce over her entree.

The category for the night was 'Southern Comfort' and she knew that nobody knew that better than she did. She had been perfecting one of her grandmother's recipes for years but she always had a little New York twist on it. Olivia took a step back from her creation and smiled lightly as she looked over it. Before she could say another word, the buzzer rang. Deadra, and Harrison all took her food up to the judges while she went to go wait in the backstage area.

Only the actual chefs were allowed in the lounge and Olivia hated that part. She wasn't very good at mingling, she never had been, so being without her family made her a bit uneasy. Olivia put on a brave face and held her head up high as she went to watch the outcome with the others.

The 2 chefs she had been competing against were Pearson George and Fitzgerald Grant III. Olivia loved Pearson, but she could have gone without ever meeting Fitz. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, she just didn't like him. Or at least thats what she told herself.

Fitz hailed from California and he was Santa Barbara's favorite son. His father was a famous politician who made sure that he was able to follow his dreams to his heart's content. He was handsome and charismatic and the judges always ate that type of stuff up. She could often look up and find Fitz winking at a judge or entertaining the crowd instead of cooking. He didn't take anything seriously and that's what bothered Olivia the most.

His food was good, there was no doubting that, but her's was better. She had once attended a hotel opening where he was the head chef and her lobster was way too chewy and her vegetables weren't seasoned enough. Everybody at the function ate it up though because he was Fitzgerald Grant and nothing he made could ever go wrong. Olivia, on the other hand, left a terrible review for him on Yelp and had only given him one star.

 _You have to work twice as hard_ — Or at least that's what her father would say. She would never have anything handed to her because she was just some little black girl from the Bronx, but Fitz could have it all if he winked hard enough. It wasn't fair, but she had learned that a long time ago.

'Olivia, you had me so worried back there!' Pearson said with his normal grin on his face as he greeted her. He was a cute guy, or so Olivia thought. Curly, strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles all over his chubby cheeks. He reminded her of the cherubs that you'd see in classical paintings but she'd never say that out loud.

As much as she wanted to compete against Pearson in the final round, and she really did, she knew he was going to make it any further. His food was good, but it didn't really compare to anything she or Fitz could whip up. Not only that, he was way too nice to make it any further. The judges loved charisma, but they also liked experience, and that was something that he lacked.

'You know I always come up with something.' she winked and smiled as Pearson wrapped her up in a hug and she patted his back.

'Nice job pairing up that chicken with that balsamic dip.' Fitz commented from across the room with his arms crossed against his chest. He had been watching her out of the corner of his eye the entire night although he wouldn't say it out loud.

Whereas Olivia considered Pearson 'cute', she didn't have words to exactly describe Fitz. Handsome. Hot. Rugged. Pulchritudinous. He was one of the people on God's green earth that her mama said were just here to make it a little better looking. His brown, curly hair was long enough to be put into a bun and his face was full of dark stubble.

Fitz actually really liked Olivia. He could never pinpoint a situation that would have turned her off from him, but she always made it very obvious that she would prefer to not have his company. He had never had the opportunity to try her food because she was never in town when he traveled to the east coast. This was their first time being in an actual competition with her and he knew she'd be his biggest threat.

'It definitely wasn't a balsamic dip, but, thank you anyway.' she said, giving him a tightlipped smile before walking over to one of the couches and sitting down.

Pearson grabbed the seat next to her as they watched the judges taste and deliberate on their creations. All that Fitz could do was watch on as Olivia gave all of her attention to him and wonder what babyface had over him. There were two glasses of champagne set off to the side and he grabbed one of them, quickly draining it's contents down his throat.

'Um, Fitz.' Pearson said softly. 'I think that those were for the winners tonight. Not to say that you won't be one of the winners but I think they were saving it.'

Fitz opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it again when he saw that Olivia was shooting him a look. He knew she couldn't do anything to him but he also didn't want to cross her. He was well aware as to who was supposed to receive the glasses of champagne, but he was also confident that he and Olivia had won. Pearson would have to try again another year.

'Wow, I'm such an idiot.' he chuckled and shook his head. 'I'll have to make sure this is refilled before the judges announce.'

The buzzer sounded which let them know that the judges had made their final decision so he just smiled at Fitz. 'It'll be alright, Fitz. It's no big deal.'

'We would like to thank you all for coming to our Young Chef of America competition here in Seattle, Washington. We hope that you all have enjoyed our programs thus far and that you've learned a lot of cooking along the way. Two nights from now we will hold our final round right here in this studio and I hope that you all can make it back.' the lady on the microphone said to the crowd as she was handed an envelope.

Once the cheers from the audience had subsided, she opened up her sheet of paper and began to read off the information. 'Our runner up for tonight is Miss Olivia Pope.'

The crowd hooped and hollered when they heard her name, but Olivia could only roll her eyes. She didn't deserve runner up and she knew that. Instead of moping around, though, she put on the best smile she could and stepped out onto the balcony that was connected to the lounge so that everybody could see her. She spotted her family still down in the kitchen area and she waved at them before turning her attention to her fans.

'And our winner of tonight's challenge is Fitzgerald Grant III. These are the two who will be advancing to the next round and competing to become your next Young Chef of America.' she clapped her hands and turned her attention to the balcony.

Fitz smiled brightly and stood beside Olivia, waving his hand out to everyone. He took her freehand and held it up in the air and she could only fake a laugh.

* * *

That night all Olivia could so was toss and turn in bed. The original plan was to rest as much as she could in preparation of the competition, but that hadn't worked out too well for her. She and Fitz attended dinner together so that they could so a small photo shoot and she hated every second of it.

Well, she _wanted_ to hate it.

The truth was that she actually kind of liked Fitz. There were times that she wanted to take a spatula and smack the smug look off of his face but, other times, she found him somewhat sweet. That night, once their food had been served, a group of young kids approached him with pens and pieces of paper to ask for autographs. He insisted on getting pictures with the children and had even ordered a round of desserts for their table. He was a sweet guy when he wanted to be.

Once they left the restaurant, Fitz had insisted on walked her back to the hotel. He used the excuse that they'd be able to get more photos in, but the truth was that he wanted to be sure she'd arrive safely. Olivia didn't think much of it because there were a few paparazzi type looking men following them around. They definitely wouldn't be making the same tabloids as Beyonce or Rihanna, but their fans would want to see them interact regardless.

The coordinators of the program had emphasized to them both over and over again the importance of good sportsmanship. Olivia thought it was pointless because they'd both be going their separate ways after the competition anyway but she complied.

'I don't know if I told you this, Olivia, but you look really nice this evening.' he said as he pushed his hands down into his pockets.

'Thanks.' she said dryly so that she wouldn't have to have anymore conversation with him.

Olivia had changed into a navy blue dress that hugged her in all of the right places. It had a sweetheart neckline and the lack of sleeves showed off her toned arms. The hem ended a few inches above her knees and her heels worked to accentuate her calve muscles. Fitz had been on Cloud 9 since the moment she stepped into the restaurant. She was technically his date, whether she liked it or not, and that fact alone made him grin.

Fitz, on the other hand, had thrown on a suit once the competition was over. Olivia distinctly smelled the Versace cologne on his neck. She found herself 'accidentally' leaning into him a few times to get a few extra whiffs of it. She thought he looked extremely handsome in his outfit but wasn't going to say it. She didn't want him getting any ideas.

'So, what are you going to be doing tomorrow?' he asked, trying to stir up conversation. Fitz had technically known Olivia for over a year and this was the longest she had ever gone without rolling her eyes at him since the night they met. He was obviously on some type of roll and he didn't want to waste it.

'Sitting in my room.' she answered plainly.

'Well, maybe we can sit together.' he grinned. 'I can bring a movie or something and we can—'

Olivia rolled her eyes and Fitz almost laughed out loud because that was the Olivia he knew so well. 'I'll be sitting in my room alone. By myself. Without you.'

'No worries. I get it.' he smiled as if he hadn't just been rejected. 'I guess I'll do something similar then. Alone. By myself. Without you.' Fitz threw her statement back out at her.

'You're not funny, Fitz. You're just an okay chef as is so I don't know why you thought to try your hand at comedy.' she jabbed at him although she didn't really mean it. She knew Fitz was a great chef despite the chewy lobster that she had experienced. And, he was actually pretty funny when he wanted to be.

'Ouch.' he chuckled. 'When are you going to stop being so mean to me?'

'When are you going to stop talking to me?' she asked as she put a smile on her face so that she could wave at somebody calling her name.

Even though Olivia and Fitz were rising stars in the cooking world, they weren't celebrities by any means. Because the competition was being held in Seattle, though, there were a lot of fans in town to see who would come out on top. Fitz basically ruled the west coast so he had a lot more support on his own home turf, but Olivia had a few groupies of her own.

Things between the two of them hadn't always been this way, though. Fitz actually had no idea why Olivia didn't like him and she never hung around him long enough to talk about it. If they happened to be at the same party or bar, she would either conveniently leave or surround herself to the point that he couldn't get to her.

* * *

 **Italy - One Year Ago**

'Hi.'

'Hi.'

'Olivia, this is my good friend Fitzgerald Grant. Fitzgerald, I'd like you to meet my friend Olivia.' Chef Mario Batali said with a smile. He enjoyed playing matchmaker in his free time and he knew they'd be perfect for one another.

Fitz smiled and held his hand out of her so that they could shake. 'It's a pleasure meeting you, Olivia. I've heard such great things.'

'Same to you, Fitzgerald.' she smiled and took her hand back and held onto her clutch. Fitz was actually way more handsome in person than what he was in pictures or on television, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be looking at her the same way.

The three of them had been invited to a small party in Italy where they'd finally be unveiling a few bottles of wine that they had let ferment in a cellar for over 100 years. It was a very big deal in the community and not just anybody could get in. Olivia had just turned 21 so she was a bit surprised that she had made the cut, but international drinking laws were a bit different.

'I'm going to leave you two to get to know each other a little better.' Mario said before winking his eye and whisking himself away. He didn't have anything in particular to do but he understood that he'd just be in the way at that point.

Olivia chuckled a little nervously and shook her head at Mario's behavior. He had been going on and on about how he thought Fitz would be perfect for her but she never paid him much attention. 'He's such a silly man.'

'Extremely.' Fitz smiled and slid his hands into his pockets as he took the chance to look over her features. Her cheeks dimpled as she laughed and her skin seemed to glow in Italy's setting sun. He knew she was a few years younger than him, he had just turned 25, but he had heard a lot about her success.

'Why don't we have a seat?' he said, prompting towards a few couches that were set off in the corner. The party was taking place in a cute little restaurant with a private balcony that the hosts had rented for them.

'I don't know if people are going to appreciate you whisking me away from the rest of the party.' she simpered.

'I'll only need a minute of your time.' he grinned slyly.

'Just one minute?'

'One minute.'

'Lead the way, then.' she responded and offered him her arm.

Fitz smiled and intertwined his arm with hers as they walked slowly towards the secluded area. 'I hear somebody has been taken the east coast by storm.' he teased lightly, making her laugh.

'I wouldn't say by storm.' she shook her head. 'Just doing what I love, you know?'

'Oh, you're being modest.' he playfully admonished as they approached the sitting area. He sat down beside her and gestured for the waiter to come over so that they could over a few hors d'oeuvres.

'Well, I also hear that somebody just made the cover of a magazine. What did they call you again?' she crinkled her nose cutely although she remembered exactly what they titled him. 'California's Golden Boy, I think?'

Fitz nearly snorted. He honestly thought the name was ridiculous but it was too late to stop them once the magazine had been printed. He leaned back on the couch, resting his arm behind her back casually. 'That's what they call me.'

'And what's that like, exactly?' she asked curiously. Olivia was still leaning forward so she had to turn to see him, but she liked the angle she had. Fitz had the top buttons of his shirt undone, revealing some strands of oak colored chest hairs.

'Surprisingly, very boring.' he smirked. 'I thought that being a chef would spice my life up a bit, but I was wrong. Now whenever I go places people just want me to cook for them or rate their desserts.'

'Heavy is the head that bears the crown, huh Golden Boy?' she playfully jabbed as she grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray that the waiter had brought around. Fitz reached around her to grab his own glass and she nearly shivered as his cologne hit her nose. Olivia couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but she had to say Eros by Versace.

'I think I would much prefer if you called me Fitz.' he chuckled and drank some of his champagne.

'I like Golden Boy. It sounds a bit regal, don't you think?' Olivia asked before putting her drink down. After one sip she could tell it was strong enough to have her feeling a bit tipsy. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself.

'You're too kind.' he chortled.

The two of them sat and talked alone for almost an hour before the music finally began to play. There was only a small dance floor pushed off to the side but people were quickly filling it. Everybody had been drinking and the live band was playing something soft and romantic sounding. Fitz was far too preoccupied with their conversation to even pay attention to the way people were migrating.

'Did you want to dance, Fitz?' Olivia asked, gesturing over to the dance floor.

Fitz glanced over to the crowd of people and then crinkled his nose. 'I think I'll have to pass this time.'

'Sounds like somebody is afraid to show off his two left feet.' she teased.

'Maybe you're right.' he shrugged his shoulders cutely.

Before he could say another word, though, they were disrupted by somebody clearing their throats behind them. Olivia smiled but Fitz only rolled his eyes when he realized who it was. Pearson George was another young chef from America who had apparently been invited to the party. He was 19 years old and his voice still squeaked when he spoke and he was constantly doing this annoying little hair flip that made Fitz want to shave his head.

'Hello, Pearson.' Olivia said with a smile as she stood up to hug him. 'I didn't know what you were coming tonight.'

'I didn't know, either. I had to convince my parents once they found out that everybody was going to be drinking.' he said, not realizing how immature his statement made him sound to those around him.

Fitz stood to his feet as well to shake his hand. 'So happy you could make it.' he lied.

He had met Pearson a couple of times before and he had played nice for the cameras. The last time they were together was in Sydney, Australia earlier than year at a conference. Olivia was supposed to be there as well but something had come up and she had to pull out at the last minute. Pearson had causally mentioned to Fitz that he liked her and was thinking about asking her out on a date.

This fact didn't sit well with Fitz, especially now that he was there in Italy and hugging Olivia.

'I hate to break up your conversation, but Olivia I was really hoping that you'd allow me to escort you to the dance floor.' he said, holding his arm out for her to take.

Fitz's eyebrows furrowed. 'Actually—'

Olivia smiled and intertwined their arms. 'That sounds delightful. I actually love this song.' she turned back to Fitz as Pearson began to walk them in the other direction. 'Bye, Golden Boy.'

Their small interaction was completely lost of Pearson who's only objective at this point was to get Olivia to the dance floor and to try to not step on her toes. He was a bit surprised that she had agreed at all so he was pretty excited by this point. They navigated their way through the other partygoers until they were almost at the middle of the dance floor.

Once they walked into the doors of the lobby of their hotel, Olivia immediately erased the plastered smile off of her face. She took out her phone and began to text as if she had 3,000 other things to do and tried paying no attention to him. The truth of the matter was that she really wanted to get to her room and turn on Netflix but Fitz didn't need to know that. She wanted to look extremely busy.

But, now she was laying in bed and couldn't sleep at all. The sponsors of the competition had paid for her hotel room while her family stayed a few floors down. Olivia sent them a text to see if they wanted to come up and maybe watch a movie or something but none of them answered. It was 3am so she had to assume that they were all asleep, but that didn't help her at all. She sighed when her stomach growled loudly, so got out of bed.

There wasn't much around the hotel room, just some apples, oranges, and a few bottles of water, and she definitely didn't want that. She had spotted an instant ramen machine downstairs in the vending area so she decided to go that route. A part of her really hoped that nobody caught her downstairs buying any instant meals but at that point she didn't care. None of the restaurants would be open that late and she just needed something.

Olivia threw on a gray tank top, some black leggings, and her slippers then made her way to the elevator with nothing but her phone and a couple of dollars in her hands. The halls were extremely quiet so she moved as silently as possible. The ride downstairs was long, but uninterrupted, and she was happy to see that the lobby looked like some type of deserted island.

The person at the front desk had been lazily watching television on their phone, but he immediately perked up once he saw a guest come down. He smiled and waved at her but Olivia ignored him, preoccupied with her mission to find the machine. After a few moments of searching, she was headed in the right direction.

'Oh my God.' she murmured and rolled her eyes when she saw Fitz already there and buying himself something. Olivia was about to back out hoping to not have to stir up a conversation, but he looked up at her and they met eyes.

'Well, what a surprise.' he grinned. 'What is Olivia Pope doing up this late?'

Olivia took a short breath in an attempt to calm herself down. She had every right as Fitz to be there right then and she was going to get her food and return to her room. There was another ramen machine next to the one he was using so she went to that one instead.

'I'm just buying a quick bite to eat.' she explained, although she told herself in her head that there was no reason that she had to justify her actions to Fitz at all. It wasn't any of his business what she was doing or who she was doing it with.

'Isn't this pretty ironic, though?' he grinned. 'Two world renowned chefs up at 3am and buying instant ramen from some old machine?'

'Desperate times call for desperate measure I suppose.' Olivia shrugged.

Fitz grinned when he realized that she wasn't just going to sit there and ignore him the entire time. He had at least 5 minutes to charm Olivia enough to smile at him and he planned on using them all. He slyly glanced over at her as she began to use the touch screen options to choose her flavor and noodle type.

'Chicken ramen? Really?' his nose crinkled cutely. 'Why would you willingly choose the chicken flavor when shrimp is an option?'

'Fitzgerald, chicken is the best flavor there is. I would think that as a chef you would recognize this, but, you're not a very good one so I guess I understand.' she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. It was only then that she realized that he was using this as a way to bait her into conversation.

'Don't you have to go be stupid somewhere else?' she asked, finally glancing over at him and glaring as best she could. He wasn't dressed in anything too spectacular, just a simple t-shirt and gray sweatpants, but she had to fight the urge to look down to see if his penis had an impression against the material.

Olivia internally scolded herself. It was amazing that even after all this time, she still had a weak spot for Fitzgerald Grant.

'Not until tomorrow. You've got my attention until then.' he said, shrugging his shoulders cutely.

She scoffed at the boyish grin he had on his face and then looked away from him. Olivia tried to will her ramen to cook any faster than what it was but it had really only been a minute since it began.

'What about a friendly wager, Olivia?' Fitz suggested. 'You let me taste your ramen, and I'll taste yours of course, and we'll see who comes out on top.'

'I already know what shrimp ramen tastes like, Fitz.' she shook her head.

'Not mine, though. I'm going to fix it up.' he said as he grabbed his now finished container from the machine. 'Let's go over to the hotel's kitchen and use what they have in stock.'

'Are you suggesting that we break in?' Olivia cocked her eyebrows.

'No.' he immediately shook his head although that was exactly what he was suggesting. 'I wouldn't call it breaking in, per se. We're just unlocking the door and borrowing some of their ingredients.'

'You're psychotic.' she scoffed.

'Maybe.' he shrugged again. 'But you're a chicken. Just like that ramen. Maybe they should stop calling you the Cajun Princess and start calling you the Cajun Chicken.'

Olivia crossed her arms and looked him up and down, trying to figure out if he was seriously doing this. 'You're being a child, Fitz.'

'I might be being a child, but at least I'm not being a chicken.' he jabbed at her.

'You are so stupid.' Olivia huffed and tried to turn her attention back to her ramen that was now about halfway done.

'Chicken. Pollo. Polo. Pollastre.' he began to chant. 'Oilasko. Piletina.'

She rubbed her temples as Fitz began to just repeat the word 'chicken' in every language he knew how. Olivia tried her best to ignore him as he continued down the list and began to make chicken noises at her. She was caught in between smacking him upside the head and kissing him to quench the thirst she'd had for the past year.

Finally, after she had had enough, Olivia stomped her foot. 'I'll do it, but please shut up for the love of God!'

Fitz grinned widely and did a small victory dance in his head. His initial 5 minutes with Olivia had now been extended to at least 30 and he was very excited about that. This would be their first time being truly alone since their cab ride in Italy and he didn't plan on wasting it.

* * *

 **Italy**

Fitz watched on from the side as she and Pearson swayed back and fourth to whatever old song that the band was playing. He didn't like to dance. He actually hated dancing. But, he hated seeing them together even more. He had spent the entire evening doing nothing but being enchanted by all that was Olivia Pope and now she was off with somebody else. Fitz could see them talking about something but he couldn't exactly read their lips because they were so far off.

'You're pretty good at this.' Olivia said, smiling up at him. Pearson was a nice guy but she wasn't really into him. She was always careful when they were together because she didn't want to lead him on.

'Well, my school offered ballroom dancing and it was the only way I could get close to any girls.' he said before spinning her around but bringing her right back to his arms. 'So, I took it twice.'

'Glad to see it's working out for you.' she smirked but took a small step back from him so that they could be at arms length once more. It was only then that Olivia realized that Pearson was staring down at her. 'Why are you looking me like that?'

'I'm just trying to figure out why you would want to spend the entire night off in the corner with Fitzgerald Grant when there are so many better things you could be doing with your time.' he mused softly. 'He's still sulking in the corner.'

'Pearson.' Olivia said in a mildly scolding tone. 'Fitz has nice qualities about himself.'

'Oh, I'm sure he does.' he hummed. 'I just don't see why you're sticking around to try and find one of them.'

Olivia simply chuckled and shook her head. She could tell that there was about to be some type of testosterone match between the two of them. She really did like Fitz but what she wasn't going to do was stand around while they tried to win her as if she was some type of prize at the fair.

Once the song began to soften, letting him know that it was almost over, Fitz stood to his feet. Olivia had left just a little champagne at the bottom of her glass so he knocked it back before making a few strides over to where the crowd was. He squeezed through the people until he reached Pearson and he grabbed his arm and smiled as best he could.

'I hate to impose, but I'd really like to have this dance.' he said although he was already cutting in between them.

'Oh, go right ahead.' Pearson smiled back and took a step away to be a gentleman. Although, no part of him wanted to see Olivia dancing with Fitz right then.

Olivia smiled at Pearson as he made his way off of the dance floor and took one of Fitz's hands while the other one rested chastely at the side of his abdomen. 'I thought you said you had two left feet?'

'I do.' he responded although he wasn't looking directly at her. Fitz smiled and nodded his head at somebody he knew to keep up with appearances. 'But I guess I don't mind embarrassing myself a little.'

'Only because you didn't want me dancing with Pearson. Somebody got a little jealous.' Olivia pointed out with her eyebrows quirked.

Fitz was about to object and come up with a whole story about how he had just gained some confidence but he knew it was of no use. Instead he simply chuckled and shook his head. 'You found me out, Olivia. It made me a little uncomfortable.'

'Oh, you didn't have to tell me.' she smirked. 'It was fairly obvious.'

'I just don't appreciate the fact that he came over to solely disrupt our conversation.' Fitz said somewhat defensively. 'I don't think I want to share you for the rest of the night.' he finally looked down at her, meeting her gaze.

His words weren't lost on Olivia and she had to agree. It was probably time to move their somewhat private party somewhere quieter. She smiled as the song ended and took a step away from Fitz so that she could clap her hands for the band. He leaned in towards her and whispered in her ear but tried not to make it look too obvious.

'I'm going to grab our gift bags off of the table. Why don't you say your goodbyes meet me downstairs in the lobby in, lets say, the next 5 minutes?' he asked, glancing down at his watch.

'And if I don't?' she simpered cutely just to annoy him. They both knew she'd be downstairs in no time.

'Then, I'll have to come back and get you myself.' he smiled and waved at someone who made eye contact with him. 'And, I'd hate to cause a scene and this lovely party. 5 minutes.' Fitz licked his lips lightly and walked off.

Olivia smiled as if nothing had happened and went to say goodbye to some friends just as Fitz had instructed her. Because she had spent the entire evening preoccupied, she hadn't had much time to catch up with anyone. She promised to make herself available the next day for dinner then quickly made her exit.

Pearson had seen Fitz make a quick getaway and he was hoping that this would be his time to catch up with Olivia. He went to the bar and ordered her a drink, he had promised his parents that he wouldn't partake tonight, and went to find her. When they finally did meet eyes, she was preparing to take the stairs out from the party. He caught her and took hold of her arm.

'Where are you going, Olivia? The night is still young.' he said, gesturing out to all of the people in the party. It hadn't died down at all since it had started. They'd probably all be there until 2am.

'I hate to leave so early, but I really must go.' she said with an apologetic smile as she tried to set her arm free. Her 5 minutes were almost up and she needed to meet Fitz.

The other part of her wanted to see what type of punishment she'd receive if she was late.

'Is there anything wrong?' he asked, cocking his head. It wasn't like her to leave so abruptly.

'Oh, I um… It's the jet lag. The flight here was so tiresome and I just feel like I need to rest for a while.' Olivia commented while stretching dramatically. 'I could just pass out on the next soft surface.'

'Oh no.' he frowned, obviously believing her lie. 'Would you like me to accompany you? I wouldn't mind leaving a bit early myself.'

'No, thank you.' she shook her head. 'Stay and enjoy yourself. I'm going straight back to my hotel room and going to bed.'

 _That was a lie._

Within the next 3 minutes Olivia was in the back of a taxi with Fitz, practically sitting in his lap as they devoured each other's faces. The poor driver had no idea what he was getting himself into when he agreed to travel to the restaurant and pick up the nice looking couple. All he knew was that people coming from this area tipped very well and that he could use the extra cash.

If he had known this, though, he would have kept on going.

'You made me wait.' Fitz murmured against her lips as he brought her completely into his lap.

Olivia lifted her dress up a bit and parted her legs so that she could straddle his thighs. She took both of Fitz's cheeks into her small hands and held him still while she feasted on his tongue. She could feel his erection growing against the constraints of his suit pants and she immediately began to grind on him.

'What are you going to do about it?' she asked through baited breath. Olivia had pulled away just long enough to say that sentence before they were kissing again.

Fitz's hands had no idea on what part of her they wanted to explore first. The only things he could focus on right then was how good she smelled, how good she tasted, and how good she felt riding his cock. That would definitely have to be the first position they tried when they did finally make it back to his bedroom. The only thing keeping him from tearing through her clothes right then was the fact that the driver seemed a bit nervous. Fitz had long rolled up the partition but he was sure that he could still hear them moaning and groaning from the backseat.

His digits nimbly traveled up the bottom of her dress and he squeezed down on her soft flesh. Fitz could hear her purr softly as he palmed her ass and rubbed on the crotch of her panties. She was soaking wet and that made the long ride even more unbearable. Olivia was almost dripping down her thigh and there wasn't a thing he could do about it right then.

Fitz worked to push her panties down her thighs and she helped by lifting her hips up a bit. As soon as she settled back down, he laid a firm pop on one of her bare cheeks. Olivia huffed and rubber her butt as the sting settled.

'That's for making me wait.' he said as he sat back against the seat with the smuggest grin on his face.

'You're terrible.' Olivia playfully growled and attacked his face again.

Before they could get too hot and bothered, the taxi pulled up to the hotel. The man frantically knocked on the partition to tell them they had arrived and just prayed that they hurried and got out of the car. Fitz bit down on her bottom lip before she pulled away.

'I'm going to lay you across my lap when we get upstairs.' he said, promising rather than threatening.

'What have I done wrong?' she poked her bottom lip out and smiled coyly at him. Olivia moved out of his lap and made her way out of the car.

'I'll have to come up with something.' Fitz mumbled as he watched her.

Olivia took one step out of the taxi and her panties fell the rest of the way down her legs. She quickly bent over to get them and she tossed them at Fitz who was still sitting down on the backseat. She grinned when he licked the wet spot on the cotton crotch then stuffed them into his pocket.

Fitz tipped the man well for putting up with their shenanigans then led Olivia inside of his hotel. There was a small convenient store that stayed open late so Fitz knew he was going to have to stop in there. He hadn't brought any condoms with him and he didn't want to have to stop and do anything once he got her upstairs and undressed. He was hungry for her now.

* * *

After Olivia's food had finished, they grabbed their bowls and headed towards the kitchen area. The person at the front desk had nodded off to sleep and wasn't paying any attention to the two people currently sneaking past him to get to the kitchen area that was supposed to be closed off. There were 5 restaurants in the hotel, but they chose the nicest one to go to.

At the front was a rope barrier that said 'Closed' across it, but Fitz lifted it so that she could duck underneath it. 'Ladies first.' he said politely.

Olivia rolled her eyes at him but went underneath it and he followed right after her. The kitchen was marked by an 'Employees Only' sign, so it was pretty obvious which way they needed to go. Fitz thought the door would be locked and that they'd need a way to get through it but it simply swung right open.

'This hotel has terrible security.' Olivia said as they made their way through the kitchen. It had been cleaned from top to bottom for the next mornings breakfast shift so all the pots and pans had been put away.

'Lucky for us, huh?' he quipped as he began to look through their refrigerators.

'Okay, so what exactly are the rules for this challenge?' Olivia asked as she put her bowl on one of the counters.

'I don't know?' Fitz grinned cutely at her and shrugged his shoulders. 'I didn't think I'd make it this far.'

Olivia palmed her forehead and sighed. 'Can you come up with something then, please? Some of us would like to get some rest.'

'Fine, fine.' he soothed. 'We have 30 minutes to come up with an original way to spice up these two bowls of ramen. We can only use what's found in this kitchen and you will lose points if they're not tastefully plated.'

'Anything else?' she asked, already eyeing a bowl of fresh bell pepper that had been left out.

'Nope.' he shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket and set it on the counter. 'We'll have a taste test in the end. I'll give you a 1 minute head start since you're already at a disadvantage.'

'Excuse me?' her eyebrows raised.

'You're working with the nastiest ramen flavor known to man.' he chuckled. 'You have your work cut out for you.'

'I don't need your stupid head start.' she waved him off as she took the top off of her ramen and set aside the disposable chopsticks that came with them.

'Suit yourself.' he smiled slyly at her and then started the timer.

As soon as Fitz's phone buzzed, the two of them nearly sprinted into their own separate corners. All of the meat was kept inside of one refrigerator so they had to share it, but they mostly worked around one another. Olivia looked extremely determined as she meticulously went through every single one of her steps while Fitz simply did what felt right in that moment.

He enjoyed watching their two cooking styles come into play in the same kitchen. Olivia was the type of person to always go by the book. She would follow recipes in her head and only occasionally mix things up. Her need for perfection meant that most of her meals turned out excellent every time. Fitz, on the other hand, would much rather go with the flow. He would throw in what he knew tasted good, but sometime his outcomes were hit and miss. His main focus, usually, was just to have a good time.

'So, what exactly do you plan on doing with this money if you win?' he asked as they both worked on their separate creations. He found the look of concentration on her face pretty cute.

'Don't you mean when I win it?' Olivia quipped.

Fitz chuckled at her stubbornness. 'Semantics. Just tell me.'

'Why do you need to know?' she asked as she stirred up some sauce that she had just whipped up.

'Just curious.' he smiled. 'Is it a secret?'

'No.' Olivia shook her head. 'I want to buy some land.'

'To put a restaurant on?' Fitz asked as he began to boil some water. He was much more engrossed in talking to her than completing the challenge.

'Something like that.' she murmured as she kneeled down to be eye level with her bowl. She shut one of her eyes so that she could add the precise amount of salt needed. 'I want to have a street of food trucks with affordable food options. More of a community impact project.'

'Leave it to Olivia Pope to go above and beyond.' he smirked. 'She couldn't just stop with a regular restaurant location.'

'You think too small, Fitz.' she said as she carefully stirred her noodles. 'If you were cooking unopposed, what would you spend the money on?'

'First of all, I think I have a pretty good chance of winning.' he said which only made Olivia laugh. 'I'd probably donate to my old school so that it can be given out as a scholarship. One student can receive $1,000 a semester for the next 25 years.'

Olivia looked up from her dish and raised her eyebrows in disbelief. 'Really?'

'Yes.' he snorted. 'You seem surprised.'

'That just seems very thoughtful of you.' she said before turning her attention back to her ingredients. 'Very unlike you.'

Fitz raised his eyebrows but decided not to further question what she meant. He couldn't recall a time that he was ever mean or spiteful towards her so he was a bit confused by her statement.

With about 30 seconds left on the clock, Olivia was adding her final touches to her bowl. She had one eye open and one shut as she precisely added the right amount of Sriracha sauce and spread it out evenly to create a little design. Fitz nonchalantly reached over and bumped her elbow which caused her to flinch.

Olivia gasped at his actions and stood up straight. 'You cheated!'

'I never said anything about not being able to distract your opponent.' he reminded as he put his shrimp on top of his noodles and smiled.

'Oh, really?' she raised her eyebrows and grabbed the fork she was using earlier and dug it into the middle of his bowl.

Fitz chuckled. Olivia was taking this entire situation way more serious than he was. 'How mean of you, Olivia.'

'Serves you right.' she glared at him.

Before they could continue their back and fourth argument, Fitz's phone buzzed once more to let them know that their time was up. Olivia sat on top of the counter next to her creation and proudly presented it to him while Fitz stood next to her. They exchanged chopsticks and he began to look over what she had made.

'First of all, I'm taking off points for not have a boiled egg. Rookie mistake.' he commented.

'I would have been able to make the eggs if you hadn't hogged the entire stove with your shrimp.' she rolled her eyes. 'Just taste it.'

'I would have gladly put on one more egg for you if you had simply asked me.' he smiled at her but Olivia swatted his arm, tired of his chit chat.

'I don't need your help, Fitz.' her eyes rolled. 'Let's get on with this.'

Fitz took the chopsticks and stirred her ramen bowl up a bit before finally picking up a few noodles. He tried his best to keep a stoic face but he almost melted as the chicken touched his tastebuds. He hadn't plaid much attention to what she had put in it, but it seemed as if he was tasting some garlic and fresh basil along with the grilled chicken she had thrown in.

'I'll admit that this is pretty good.' he said as he took a few more bites.

'Hey!' Olivia snatched her bowl away. 'That was supposed to be my dinner!'

'You can have the shrimp bowl I made.' he resolved before taking the bowl back.

'Oh, yes. This disaster.' she murmured before picking Fitz's food up. Olivia held it up to her nose to smell it but simply shook her head. 'You let the your other ingredients overpower the fresh smell of the shrimp. Rookie mistake.' she said, repeating his initial complaint.

Fitz simply laughed at her pettiness. 'How does it taste, woman?'

'I also want to add that you made another mistake when letting me critique any type of seafood dish. Everybody knows that fish is my specialty and anything you make is not going to be up to my standards.' she said as she stirred the noodles around a bit using her chopsticks.

'Oh, really?' he slid his hands in his pockets. 'You don't think I know seafood?'

'You may know it, but you certainly don't know it as well as I do.' she said in a matter of fact tone. 'Maybe you would have done better with something like steak.'

'You haven't even put it in your mouth yet and you're already saying that its terrible.' he laughed. 'I just can't win with you, can I?'

'Just a suggestion for next time.' Olivia shrugged and held the food up to her lips before putting it in her mouth. It actually tasted pretty good but she'd never let him know this. So, instead, she shook her head and put it off to the side.

'What's wrong with it?' he asked, looking over his food.

'The noodles feel underwhelming and the shrimp was way too chewy.' she said with her face scrunched up. 'If I was in a restaurant, I'd send this back and demand a refund. I might even ask for the head chef to be fired.'

'So please enlighten me oh great Chef Olivia. What could I have done differently?' Fitz asked before eating up the rest of Olivia's chicken ramen.

Olivia bit her lip as she tried to think of something. There wasn't anything wrong with it so that made her task twice as hard. 'I think I'd recommend not cooking the shrimp so hard and could you try to not kill your client with chili powder? I nearly choked on these clumps here at the bottom.' she critiqued.

'Wait a minute.' Fitz's eyebrows furrowed as he listened. 'Did you say that my shrimp was too chewy?'

'And it was.' she crossed her arms.

Fitz looked her up and down for a moment and then burst into a fit of laughter. He had been cooking for years but he had only received a few bad reviews on things that he had personally made. He could distinctly remember one a couple of years ago at a hotel opening in Barcelona saying that the lobster in his bisque was way too chewy and almost unbearable to eat. The reason he remembered this one so clearly was because he had received amazing reviews that night other than this particular one.

'What are you laughing at, Fitz?' she kicked her leg, striking his thigh.

'It was you!' he laughed and wiped a tear from his eye. 'You're the one who left that terrible review that night in Barcelona!'

Olivia opened her mouth to deny the claims but then saw no reason to. It was definitely her that did and she really had to reason to lie. She chuckled lightly but looked away from him. 'Fine. You caught me this time.'

'You're a terrible little thing. You know that, right?' Fitz asked as he got into her personal space. Olivia was still sitting on top of the counter so he placed both of his arms on either side of her, essentially trapping her in that spot. 'You never have anything nice to say to me, you roll your eyes when I wave at you, and God forbid I try to hold a conversation with you.'

She cut her eyes at him, curious to know where he was going with this. Olivia subconsciously scooted away from him a bit as he got closer. They hadn't been that close since they were in Italy together and she didn't need him clouding her judgement.

'Okay, I get it. I'm mean to you.' her eyes rolled. 'Then, why do you keep doing this?'

Fitz paused for a moment as he considered what he should say next. He honestly didn't really know why he chased after her the way he did. 'I just can't seem to shake you, Olivia Pope.'

Olivia scoffed and tried to slide down from the counter but Fitz kept her pinned up there. He didn't want to hold her hostage or scare her, but he knew that this might be his only chance to actually talk to her. He finally had her in a position where she couldn't get away and now he needed answers.

'So you don't feel the same way?' his eyebrows raised.

'No. Absolutely not.' she shook her head although they both knew that that was a lie.

'And you haven't thought about me at all since Italy?' he asked, leaning towards her again. 'You haven't spent not one restless night wondering about what might have happened?'

Olivia turned her head to escape Fitz's gaze and wished that she could have just disappeared from the kitchen. If I had just stayed in my room, this wouldn't have happened.

Fitz's questions were forcing Olivia to open up a part of herself that she had planned to always keep closed. She didn't like to dwell on maybes or what ifs, so after she left Fitz's hotel that night, she tried to keep her mind off of it.

'Fitz, can we just not do this?' she sighed and tried to push him away, her slim fingers pressing into the cotton of his t-shirt.

'I want to do this, Olivia.' he responded, not budging at all. 'It's been a year and now I have questions. I want to know. Just look at me.' Fitz pleaded and took her hand in his.

She sighed but then chuckled humorlessly as she tried to process how in the world she ended up in this situation. 'Does it even matter?'

'It matters.' he nodded. 'Talk to me.'

Olivia finally looked him in the eyes once more and nodded. 'I do, Fitz. I do think about you.' she admitted before sliding down from the counter top so that she could stand on her feet. 'But, that was a long time ago. We were two different people.'

Fitz watched as Olivia turned her back on him and began to walk away. He tried to think about anything that could extend their moment together but it seemed like his chance was about to slip through the door. He made a few rushed strides before taking her hand and stopping her in her tracks.

'Wait, Olivia.' he said, praying that she'd look back at him. 'Just give me one minute. That's all I need.'

Olivia thought about just snatching her hand away and leaving him there alone, but she couldn't after he asked her for just a minute of her time. All she could think about was the first time they met at the restaurant and how he had asked for just one minute to get to know her better. She sighed and turned around so that she could face Fitz once more.

Fitz, on the other hand, had no idea what to say to Olivia. He was glad that she had decided to hear him out, but now he was at a loss for words. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her and he knew that it wouldn't all fit into a simple 60 seconds. He didn't even know where to start talking.

He opened his mouth to say something but then immediately shut it again. Fitz reached forward and grabbed both of her arms and brought her closer to him. If he couldn't articulate his feelings then he hoped that he could show them to her. Their lips crashed against one another's in a passionate frenzy and their bodies nearly molded together. He was pleasantly surprised when Olivia seemed to accept his gesture and opened her mouth to deepen the kiss.

After almost a minute of them making out, Fitz began to slowly back her up so that she would be pressed against the counter again. Olivia halted their movements, though, and pulled herself away from his mouth. They were both panting softly and his face was now turning a deep shade of pink. She rested one of her hands on his cheek and shook her head. This was definitely not how this night was supposed to end up, and yet here they were ripping the bandages off old wounds.

'Fitz, we can't do this.' she said, trying to reason more to herself than to him.

'Why can't we do this, Olivia? Who is stopping us?' Fitz asked as he gestured around the to the empty room.

'We can't just rush into something blindly. This is moving way too fast. We need to stop right now.' Olivia said with finality. She slowly pulled her hand away from his face and returned it to her side.

Fitz sighed but took a step away from her. He felt like they had made some real progress but apparently not. He wouldn't hold her there any longer, though. It was getting late and he was starting to grow a bit frustrated. 'That's fine, Olivia. I can't make you see things my way. I just hope that someday you do.'

Olivia looked away from Fitz then began walking towards the doors of the kitchen once more. 'Maybe one day, Fitz.'

The two of them quietly made their way out of the restaurant and back into the lobby area. They could see that some the chefs and crew members were begin to arrive at work for their morning shifts and they were both glad that they got out when they did. The last thing that they needed was the staff angry at them. The man at the front desk was still fast asleep and hadn't noticed Olivia or Fitz at all so it was fairly easy to pass by him with no questions being asked.

When they arrived back to the elevator area, Fitz pressed the button to request it come and pick them up. There wasn't much activity going on at 3:45am except a few cleaning ladies and their carts rolling back and fourth in the halls. When the doors finally opened, they both stepped on and pressed the buttons to their respective floors.

While Olivia's suite was up on the 7th floor, Fitz's was located on the 5th. The elevator ride up seemed much longer than the one she had taken down, but she didn't comment on it. When she finally did glance over at him, he seemed so frustrated that he could burst. Both of his hands were stuffed into his pockets and his jaw was clenched so hard that she swore that it could probably cut through metal.

As the door arrived to the 5th floor, Fitz took a step forward. He got off as soon as they opened and began to pull his key out. He finally looked back at her as the elevator began to close once again and he gave her a tightlipped smile. Olivia could only wave as the doors began to separate them once more.

Fitz sighed and walked down the hall to his door and was just about to go inside when he heard the elevator ding again. There were only a few rooms on his floor so he looked up, curious to know who else would be getting in this late at night. His eyebrows raised when the doors opened again to reveal Olivia who was standing in the same spot he left her.

Olivia stepped out of the doors, relieved to see that he hadn't made it in his room yet. She could tell that he was a bit confused, but she couldn't help herself. She made a few rushed strides but then jogged the rest of the way and met him beside the door of his suite. Before he could ask her any questions, she took both of his cheeks in her small hands and brought his face closer to hers. There was almost a foot of height in between them so she still had to almost stand on the tips of her toes but that was the least of her problems right then.

She had spent all this time trying her best to just hate Fitz, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Even after an entire year had passed, Olivia found herself more and more attracted to him. It was almost as if they were two magnets that had been continuously passing by one another. They were bound to smash together at some point and this was their moment. Fitz's hands rested on both sides of her thighs as he tried to process exactly what was going on.

He pushed her back into the wall and her body landed against the plaster with a thud. Olivia's hands moved from his face as she wrapped her arms around his body, her digits squeezing and appreciating his toned body. Fitz picked her up by her waist so that she could be eye level with him and her legs snaked around his thighs. He knew they could just stay out in the hall the way they were so he pulled his key out his pocket again and began to fumble with the lock. It wasn't helping him much that Olivia was now kissing up his neck and nibbling on the helix of his ear, but he was trying his best.

The door finally beeped once he swiped his key and he turned the knob to open the door. Fitz stumbled into the room with her in his arms, his hands now resting on her ass as he kept her balanced. There was a small dresser in front of the bed and he went there first and sat her on top of it. There were a few bottle of waters and a fruit bowl that were originally sitting on top, but they all fell off once they bumped into it.

Neither of them seemed to care as Olivia pulled him to her once again. Her hands traveled up Fitz's shirt, her fingers splaying across his abdomen and up to his chest. Both of her pinky fingers pressed against his nipples and he let out a small grunt of pleasure. She could still feel all those soft chest hairs that she had found herself infatuated with during their time in Italy.

Fitz grabbed hold of her wrists and pushed them away from his body. He pulled up the bottom of Olivia's shirts and she raised her arms so that he could get it above her head. He tossed it over his shoulder, neither of them caring much about where it landed, and began to lay open mouthed kisses on the column of her neck. She moaned softly as Fitz tenderly traveled down to her clavicle and finally to her cleavage that was poking out from her black bra with a pink bow in between the swollen cups.

He was careful not to leave any markings that would be visible. Fitz was well aware of the position they'd both be in in the next few hours and that would be reckless and irresponsible. Instead, he sucked on the side of her breast. His hand palmed one of her supple globes, massaging it gently as he left love bites on her chest. Olivia's fingers entangled in his hair as he moved closer and closer to her nipples. They had grown into two hard pebbles and that were begging for his attention.

Olivia reached behind her back to undo the clasp on her bra. Fitz pulled away long enough for her to move the now useless material down her arms and to drop it on the floor. Now completely nude from the waist up, Fitz was able to see two metal bars dissecting her two, tiny nubs.

'These are new.' he mumbled as he reached out to touch them. His pointer fingers and thumbs both gently pinched her nipples and he watched as she hissed and arched her back.

Fitz leaned forward and took one of them into his mouth, wrapping his tongue around it and teasing her before finally drawing it into his mouth. One of his hands rested on her backside and kneaded the flesh there while the other sat on the tops of her thighs. He slowly pressed her fingers between her legs until she opened them and he cupped her pussy.

Olivia's breath hitched in the back of her throat as he began to massage her womanhood through the thin material of her leggings. Just watching the way he way he sucked on her breast was enough to drive her wild. Her hips flexed against his palm, her whole body rolling as shivers ran up and down her spine.

Olivia could feel herself about to cum and she grabbed hold of Fitz's wrist to try and get him to stop. He could almost feel her dampening through the seat of her pants and that made him grin. He pulled his fingers away and pinched her other nipple. She started to pull at his shirt and try and get it off.

Fitz pulled his shirt up above his head and dropped it to he floor and she smiled lightly as she took in his muscular chest. He then reached for the hem of her leggings and began to pull them down her thighs and then down to her calves, kissing her flesh as he exposed it. Her shoes fell straight off along with her pants and they dropped to the floor. He was about to go for her panties next but then realized that she hadn't had any on. She smiled deviously at him and spread her legs out further.

She thought for sure that that Fitz would start taking off his sweatpants, but instead he dropped to his knees. Olivia watched him curiously as he put his hands on her knees and spread her out even more. She blushed lightly as she realized that she was now fully exposed to his peering gaze. She tried to shut her thighs against his hands but he held them apart and looked up at her with hungry eyes.

'I waited a whole year to finally taste you. This is mine tonight.' he said before sinking his teeth into her inner thigh and making her shiver.

'I, um. _Ahh_ , shit.' she hissed as he began kissing closer and closer to her glistening womanhood. Olivia's fingers tangled into Fitz's hair and tried to stop him so that she could talk. ' _Shit. Shit. Okay_.'

Fitz smiled as he buried his face into her pussy, his nose pressing into her mound as he began to take in her scent. His tongue darted out as he began to lick up the essence that began to already drip away. He indulged in the loud sound she made, something between a squeal and a hiss, and then moved to her clit. Fitz sucked the sensitive nub up into his mouth and flicked his tongue over it.

' _Shit, shit, shit_!' she screamed. The sensation was borderline too much at first and her heels began to dig into his back as she tried to will him to slow down. One of her hands stayed in his hair while the other looked for something to grip.

Olivia tried to grab the side of the dresser, but instead she ended up knocking over the lamp that was beside them. The expensive looking light with the green shade pulled against the cord that was plugged into the outlet and immediately fell over. Once it hit the floor it shattered into hundreds of pieces, but neither of them noticed.

She continued to grind her pussy into Fitz's mouth as he savagely ate her. Olivia began to shout his name as if it was some type of rallying call and her eyes started to roll to the back of her head. Both of her legs began to squeeze down on his head and tremble as her orgasm neared. He pushed two of his fingers into her waiting portal, curling them upwards so that he could press against her g-spot.

A familiar warmth began to spread through her body. It started at the pads of her feet and then pushed up towards her stomach and then to her breasts. Her chest began to move up and down as breathing itself became a chore. Olivia thought for sure that she was crushing Fitz's head in between her thighs, but she couldn't help it.

When her orgasm finally did was over her, her entire body clenched up tightly. Fitz gently pried her legs open so that he could breathe and began to pay attention to her lower lips instead. He knew her clit was probably oversensitive right then, but he didn't want to stop. He suckled lightly on her labia as she continued to ride the waves of her climax.

Olivia reached down and grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him up to her again. She kissed his lips, sliding her tongue into his mouth and tasting herself all over him. Fitz picked her up, his hands palming her ass, and took her over to the king sized bed that was in the other room. The only sound in they could heat was their mouths smacking against one another's and his shoes crunching against the broken glass that was all over the floor.

Fitz slid her body onto the bed and she smiled up at him as she laid back on her elbows and waited for him to undress. He toed off his shoes then pushed his sweatpants down to his ankles and stepped out of them. His erect cock sprang free from his restraints and Olivia bit down on her bottom lip. His pink, bulbous tip touched right below his bellybutton and he had a thick ridge that ran along the bottom of his shaft and a prominent vein near the top.

He slid onto the bed and into her waiting arms, covering her entire body with his. Olivia opened her legs for him, grinding her pussy on his dick as he kissed up and down the side of her face. Her nails began to slowly rake up and down his back as she began to crave him. Fitz rolled them over so that she could lay on top and Olivia immediately sat up. She straddled his broad hips and rested her palms on his chest as she balanced herself.

Olivia rubbed her crotch up and down his manhood, coating him in her essence and teasing them both. He could feel precum begin to drip from the tip of his penis and he groaned loudly. His hands went down to her ass and he spread her out and she continued to grind against him.

'Lift up.' he said as he raised her hips to help her.

One of his hand moved down to the base of his cock and he stroked himself a few times. He watched as Olivia's thighs trembled in anticipation of finally taking all of his dick. She slowly began to lower herself down as Fitz impaled her.

'That's it, princess.' he licked his lips. 'Take all of this dick.'

Olivia moaned as his thick shaft stretched out her walls. She tried to quicken the pace but Fitz's grip caused her to go slow. He watched as she completely buried his cock in her tight entrance and groaned with pleasure as his balls twitched. He sat up and kissed her softly as she started to move her hips back and fourth and pleasure them both.

His length continuously glided against her g-spot as she swiveled her hips. Fitz kept one hand firmly planted on her hip so that he could help regulate their pace, while the other moved downwards to her clit. Her movements faltered as a surge of pressure ran through her body, but she continued. Olivia draped her arms on his shoulders and pulled him closer to her as she sucked on his tongue.

When her legs began to shake Fitz knew she was close and he pulled his hand away. Olivia made a noise that he had to assume was some type of huff in complaint, but he ignored her. Instead, he laid back on his elbows and brought her down with him. She continued to ride him, her arms now resting on the pillows on either side of his head.

Fitz wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her closely as he began to suck on one of her breasts. His tongue flicked against the metal barbell and she cried out loudly. He began to thrust his hips upwards, meeting her stroke for stroke as they both began to close in on their orgasms.

' _Ohhhh, fuck. Baby slow down._ ' she almost begged, a tear rolling down her eye as the muscles in her stomach clenched.

He rolled them over so that he could be on top and he settled between her legs. The slow, and gentle pace that Olivia had set was pushed to something quick, and rough. The sound of their skin smacking together and her screaming filled the room. Fitz buried his face in the side of her neck, kissing and licking the sensitive area behind her ear.

Olivia's arm wrapped around his neck and her eyes snapped shut. Her back arched against his body as he pounded into her over and over and over again. Fitz could feel her walls tightening and squeezing his length, sucking him in further and further.

She grabbed the back of his head and brought his mouth to hers as she climaxed. Her jaw dropped as she whimpered his name out of her pouty lips. Fitz kissed her through her orgasm as he continued to push himself inside of her.

When he felt his balls begin to tighten he knew he was close and that he needed to pull out. Fitz sat up above her, stroking his cock as his eyes raked over her body hungrily. He grunted lowly as she squirted his seed on her thigh and stomach and emptied himself. Neither of them had thought to even grab a condom and it was definitely an afterthought now.

Fitz crawled out of the bed to get a towel from the bathroom and brought it back. He gently swiped the cum off of her hot and sticky skin then moved down to her swollen lower lips. Olivia watched on in awe as he tenderly cleaned her up and then returned to the bathroom. As much as she enjoyed the sex, and she really did, she didn't know what this meant for their relationship. She didn't want to overstep any boundaries although the lines between were now very blurred.

Olivia sat up in the bed and pulled up the sheets so that she cover her breasts while she waited for him to return. She subconsciously adjusted her hair and pushed it behind her ears to try and make it look presentable. She bit down on her lip as he came back into the room still naked.

'Um, Fitz.' she said softly to just grab his attention. This was the first time he had ever seen her look vulnerable at all. 'Should I go?' Olivia asked, gesturing towards the door.

'Actually,' Fitz said as he crawled back into the bed and started to bury himself under the covers. 'I'd be extremely offended if you weren't laying next to me when I woke up.'

She opened her mouth to say something but then shut it again. Her thighs and legs both felt like complete mush so she didn't think she'd be able to move out of bed, anyway. Instead, Olivia quietly laid down on her side and turned her back to him. Her breath hitched when she felt his strong arm wrap around her waist from behind. Fitz kissed her shoulder a few times before laying his head down on his pillow.

Olivia allowed herself to get comfortable in his arms but she wouldn't allow herself to get used to this. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow or where any of this was going but she'd just enjoy the night they had.

* * *

The next morning Fitz was pleasantly surprised to see that Olivia was still next to him and sleeping peacefully. They had obviously shifted during the night to a new position because he was now laying on his back and she was buried into his side with her head on his shoulder. He tried to carefully move his arm but when she began to rustle around he stopped. She was sleeping so peacefully and he didn't want to disturb her.

Olivia's leg was now hitched above his waist and one of her hands had made its way to his face and was covering his mouth. He nearly chuckled as he thought about all the tossing and turning she must have done to end up this way. This moment was very bittersweet for him, though. They could have had this for years if she hadn't left him back in Italy and he hated that they had wasted so much time.

Fitz was very unsure on what was going to become of their relationship after Olivia woke up and they went their separate ways once more. While he really wished she'd stick around, he knew she had a reputation for running. That was all she had been doing for the past few years, but he had finally caught up with her and he didn't plan on letting her get away very easily.

The sheets and comforter were so entangled in between their bodies, Fitz didn't know how he'd free himself. He gently took Olivia's hand and pushed it down from his face so that he could breathe just a little easier. He slowly turned on his side so that he could face her and he smiled. Even now with her lips parted and her hair all over her head, he thought she was the most beautiful woman on the planet.

The two of them had a few mutual friends, 5 if you counted Pearson but Fitz definitely didn't count him, and they would sometimes mention Olivia to him in passing. They would rave about her being mentioned in a magazine or being featured on a show, and they would occasionally brag about all the things she had done on the luxurious trips she took. They never once mentioned a boyfriend, though, or if she had been going on any other dates. He would sometimes allow himself to conjure up the thought that she had asked about him as well, but he never questioned his friends.

Instead, he watched her from afar as she climbed her way to the top. When he entered the contest, he had no idea that Olivia had decided to participate as well. This type of thing really didn't seem like her style so he never even bothered to check. It wasn't until he was watching the east coast competition on television that he knew she'd be there. He rooted for her on the sidelines the entire time, but he knew she'd made it to the top. What he wasn't expecting was for Pearson to be there either, but he didn't dwell on that thought. As much as he didn't like the kid, he knew Olivia saw him more as a kid brother than a potential suitor.

Olivia yawned softly and reached up to rub her sleepy eyes which caught Fitz's attention. He smiled and kissed her forehead to try and rouse her a bit more. He wanted to talk to her, but what was more important in that moment was that his arm was falling asleep and he was sure they would have to amputate it due to lack of blood flow.

Her nose crinkled as his lips made contact with her skin. She wasn't used to waking up with somebody in bed beside her but this was nice. Having somebody to just be around was nice. She honestly hadn't slept that good in a while, but she wouldn't tell Fitz that. Olivia opened her eyes slowly as they adjusted to the bright rays of the sun.

'What time is it?' she asked, her voice hoarse. She wasn't sure if it was because her throat was just a little dry or if it was because she had been screaming Fitz's name out all night long. Olivia assumed that it was just a mixture of both and tried not to dwell on it.

'Um,' Fitz reached behind him to grab his phone off of the nightstand and he checked the screen. He had a few missed text messages and his battery was now on 5%. The last thing on their minds last night was plugging in cellphones, and for that matter Olivia had no idea where hers was. 'it's almost 1pm.'

'Are you serious?' she asked, her eyes widening a bit. 'We slept that long?'

'We were tired.' he shrugged. 'We didn't go to sleep until really late last night.'

Olivia sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes again as she tried to figure out what her next move would be. She held the sheet with her freehand above her breasts so that she could cover herself. 'I should probably go back upstairs. My family is probably worried sick about me.'

'Wait.' Fitz bit his lip and grabbed her hand as he tried to come up with a new excuse to spend time with her. 'Liv, I think we should talk before you go.'

Olivia didn't really want to talk about what was going on between them, but she knew this was coming. They were going to have to have some type of confrontation to finally work out exactly what was going on between them. She knew that having sex the night before was a bad decision, but they were caught up in the moment and emotions were high. It was only going haze their judgements.

'Fine.' she conceded. 'We can talk. What do you want to talk about.'

'I want to ask you a question.' Fitz sat up so that he could look her in the eyes as they spoke. 'You don't have to answer, but it's been bothering me for a while.'

'What happened to you that night? Where did you go?' he cocked his head. 'You disappeared one me and I was never able to contact you.'

Olivia blushed although she had a feeling that this would be his first question. She thought about playing dumb and pretending she didn't know which night he was referring to, but, she was a big girl. If Fitz wanted answers, then she would provide them.

* * *

 **Italy**

While he went to make the purchase, Olivia waited out in the lobby. She decided to stand instead of sit so not to leave any wet spots behind her. She quietly played on her phone until she was approached by someone.

She didn't recognize him whatsoever but he had on a nice suit and was holding a briefcase in his hand. At first Olivia assumed that he was just a fan who wanted an autograph, but his demeanor told her that he was after something else.

'May I help you?' she asked with her eyebrows raised. It was only then that she remembered that she was in a different country all by herself and being approached by strangers. She prayed Fitz hurried back.

'Yes, you can.' he smiled sweetly at her. 'My name is Cyrus Beene and I am Fitzgerald Grant's manager. How are you this evening?' Cyrus asked before extending his hand to Olivia.

'I'm fine.' she said although she was now studying him curiously. She cautiously reached out to shake his hand. 'What can I do for you?'

'Well, it's just that Fitz sent me over here to get you to sign some paperwork.' he said as he began to dig through his briefcase.

'Excuse me?' she raised her eyebrows. 'What type of paperwork?'

'Oh, just your standard stuff. Nondisclosure and few other things.' he explained nonchalantly before pulling out stacks of papers from his bag. 'I just need your signature on a few things before you two head upstairs.' Cyrus said before winking at her in a way that made her a bit uncomfortable.

'Fitz sent you over here?' she crossed her arms. 'I need to sign a contract before we have sex?'

'Or any other type of relations.' Cyrus said as he began to point at random words on the paper. 'It's just business.'

'Well, tell Fitzgerald that if this is the way he runs things then I want no part of it.' Olivia glared before waving the paperwork off. She refused to be treated like some cheap business deal. It hurt a bit knowing that he thought of her that way.

Olivia picked up her clutch from the table beside them and turned on her heels. She headed towards the door and just prayed she could quickly find a cab to take her back to her place. She crossed her arms against her chest as the embarrassment started to set in as well. As much as she liked Fitz, she wasn't going to allow anyone to treat her with disrespect.

Cyrus smiled, proud of himself, and put the papers away. He had been waiting in the lobby for Fitz to return from the party and when he saw him with Olivia, he nearly had a heart attack. Not only did she serve as competition for him back in the States, she was still an up and coming chef. Their relationship wouldn't be very good for Fitz's image and Cyrus knew he had to put a stop to it immediately.

When Fitz left to go and buy the condoms and left Olivia alone, he knew that this was his chance to swoop in. He knew she wouldn't want to be involved if their relationship felt more like a business transition and that's how he approached her. The paperwork he had was really just the hotel contract but he knew that if he just waved it around in her face that she wouldn't read it. His plan had worked perfectly.

Fitz made it back to the lobby a few minutes later and frowned when he only saw Cyrus there. He was a bit surprised to see him there at all, but he was way more curios to know where Olivia had gone. Since they had been together all night, he hadn't thought to exchange numbers with her so he had no way to call.

'Cyrus, have you seen Olivia Pope? She was right here a moment ago.' he said, glancing around to see if he spotted her anywhere.

'Oh, yes I did.' he nodded. 'She left maybe 5 minutes ago. She told me to tell you that she had gotten cold feet and that she was sorry for leaving so abruptly.'

'Seriously?' his eyebrows raised. That didn't sound like the Olivia who was just sucking on his tongue and grinding on his dick just a few moments ago in the car but he had no reason to not trust Cyrus.

'Don't sweat it, sport. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.' Cyrus said dismissively. 'Let's talk about your agenda for tomorrow.'

* * *

'I went back to my hotel.' she said simply. 'Well, I went to a bar first, and then I went to my hotel.'

'But, why?' his eyebrows furrowed. 'I saw Cyrus in the lobby a few minutes later once I left the store, and he told me you had gotten nervous and left.'

'I guess you could say that was true.' she raised her shoulder and then let them fall.

'I just don't get it, though.' he said as he tried to replay the night in his head. Fitz had been doing that for years, but still hadn't been able to come up with a real answer. 'What happened? Was it something that I said?'

Olivia sighed. 'Fitz, it just seemed like everything was going perfectly that night. We both really seemed to be attracted to one another and I thought that you really liked me and—'

'I did really like you!' he said but then quickly corrected himself. 'I _do_ really like you.'

'I just didn't want to sign some contract. It made me feel gross and cheap, and I was embarrassed that you would even ask me to do something like that. You didn't even tell me yourself. You had to send Cyrus to do your dirty work.' she explained as she looked down at her lap. Olivia hadn't expressed that to anyone so she was feeling very open and exposed.

'Wait, what are you talking about?' his eyebrows raised. 'I didn't send over any contract for you. I just went to go get some condoms and some candy. I was coming right back.'

'Fitz, don't play dumb. I thought we were supposed to be having a honest conversation.' she cut her eyes at him.

'Olivia, I'm serious.' Fitz said sternly. 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'

'You didn't ask Cyrus to come over and make me sign some paperwork?' she raised her eyebrows.

'Absolutely not.' Fitz shook his head. 'What type of papers?'

'Cyrus said it was some type of nondisclosure forms or something.' she recalled. 'He said that I'd be sworn to secrecy about anything that had happened that evening, and that just didn't feel right to me.'

'Oh, sweet baby.' he murmured as he tried to take all of this in. Fitz reached out and grabbed her chin, holding her head in place. He leaned in closer to her, their faces now just a few inches apart.

'I didn't tell Cyrus to do that. I would never even think to disrespect you that way.' he said honestly. 'I don't blame you for walking out that night, but you have to believe that I had nothing to do with it.'

She studied his facial expression for a few moments, trying read him. Olivia's gut told her that he was telling the truth, and her gut never lied. Not only that, Fitz had an honest face. It was hard not to trust him. 'I believe you, Fitz.' she said softly. 'But, why would Cyrus do that?'

'I don't know.' Fitz said, although he honestly didn't really care why Cyrus did it. He'd be dealt with later. 'But, I think the important part is that we're here now.'

'I'm not sure where we're supposed to go from here. It's been so long.' she bit her bottom lip.

'We can do what we want, Liv.' he smiled softly. 'And, I want make up for all of the lost time. We deserve that.'

'So what does this make us?' she asked as she tried to process everything that she had just learned. All these years she thought Fitz was just some chauvinistic scum with some type of superiority complex.

'Anything you want to be.' Fitz grinned and leaned in to kiss her. He held her face in his hand, holding her still as he tasted her.

Olivia usually hated kissing first thing in the morning, she didn't want anybody smelling her morning breath, but Fitz didn't seem to care anything about it. Her hand slowly fell, and the sheet she was holding to her chest pooled in her lap. He moved closer to her, pushing her down until she was laying down on her back again.

Their bodies further entangled in the covers but neither of them bothered to fix them. Fitz smiled deviously at her as he moved underneath the covers and disappeared underneath the sheets. Olivia's eyebrows raised and she raised the material so that she could get a peek to see what he was doing. Her question was answered, though, when she felt his teeth drag across her nipple.

Fitz planned on making up for everything he had been missing. He made a mental note to order some room service for breakfast because he didn't plan on leaving the room at all. He pushed the covers back a bit so that she could watch exactly what it was that he was doing to her body.

He kissed down her stomach until he ended up between her legs. Olivia chuckled lightly and brought her thighs together, shutting off his access. She took hold of the back of his head and pulled him away from her womanhood.

'I'm still sore, Fitz.' she whined softly.

'Well, I'll be gentle.' he smiled goofily at her before opening her legs again.

* * *

The next evening, the two of them were getting ready in Olivia's room. It was going to be a fairly short ride to the arena that the competition was hosted at, but they were still taking separate limousines. While Fitz was ready to announce to the whole world that he was officially dating Olivia Pope, she suggested that they waited a few months. They had a very complicated history and it might raise a few questions from others. Plus, she enjoyed the bubble that they were in.

Fitz, on the other hand, couldn't disagree more. He wanted to show her off on every social media platform that he had, and then climb to the top of the mountain and declare it from there. Not only that, he wanted to see the look on Pearson's smug face when he walked in with Olivia on his arm. But, he decided to follow her plan instead. If he had successfully waited a year then a couple of more months wouldn't kill him.

Olivia was putting on her earrings when she heard somebody knock on her bedroom door. Her family was already gone, and she wasn't expecting any company so this was a surprised. 'Fitz, can you check and see who is at the door?'

He nodded as he exited the bathroom and went towards the living area of the suite. Fitz looked through the peephole, but the only thing he could see was a huge bouquet was flowers. He raised his eyebrows but opened the door to see who it was.

'I have a delivery for Miss Pope.' the bellboy said as he pushed the cart into the door.

Olivia came into the living area with nothing but her silk robe on. Her hair and makeup was already done but her outfit was still hanging up. She smiled when she saw the pushcart full of flowers and watched as the man began to lay them all on the coffee table. 'I wonder who these are from.'

'Maybe your parents sent them to you.' Fitz said as he looked over the huge bouquets in glass vases.

'Here's the card.' Olivia smiled and picked it up and opened it. 'It says " _Do your best tonight. I'll be rooting for you. Dinner on me once you win. Love, Pearson_ "' she chuckled.

Fitz's eyebrows raised and he walked over to her and looked at the card. 'It s that seriously what it says?'

'Yes.' she laughed and handed it over.

'Wow. It's been years and this guy still hasn't given up.' he said in amazement.

'And neither have you.' Olivia quipped before going to shut the door behind the bellboy.

'Hey.' he frowned. 'That's different.'

'Oh, of course it is sweetheart.' she said in a faux sympathetic tone. Olivia walked by him and pinched his cheeks, making his lips pucker out. 'Don't be pouty.'

'He's not going to very happy when he finds out what's been going on around here.' he said as he pulled his face out of Olivia's hand. He rubbed his cheeks that were now a bright shade of pink.

'It doesn't matter.' she shook her head and walked back into the bedroom. 'I've told Pearson before that I don't feel the same way about him, but he just refuses to give up. He's a nice guy, though.'

'It was very nice of him to send flowers, though.' he commented as he picked up a rose from one of the vases. 'Maybe I should check my room for some.'

Olivia laughed. 'I can guarantee that Pearson hasn't sent you any flowers, Fitz.'

She walked over to the full body mirror and pulled her robe off, throwing it on the bed. Underneath it she had on a blush pink bra and panty set. It was way more lace than it was actual material, but she still loved it. Fitz walked up behind her and smiled before kissing her shoulder.

'You are so beautiful.' he said before slowly traveling up her neck.

She swatted his face away. 'Don't get started, Fitz. We have to get going soon.'

He groaned and let her. He walked over to the other side of the bed so that he could get his suit pants and jacket on. 'Yes, ma'am.'

No more than 30 minutes later, Olivia and Fitz were heading down the elevator to catch their rides. For the competition they were both required to wear a traditional chef's uniform although neither of them were very fond of them. The sponsors of the competition had plastered the Young Chef's of America logo on the arms of the jackets and the toques, or hats, they wore were a bit itchy. They both brought outfits to change into after the competition was over and he carried their garment bags over his shoulders.

'I hate these hats.' she huffed as she tried to push it back on her head. 'And this jacket itches.'

'I think you look adorable in your hat.' he grinned. Actually, Olivia always looked adorable in her chef's uniform. He didn't like his, either, but it was worth it so see her wear it.

Cyrus had been waiting downstairs for Fitz in the lobby so that he could ride in the limo with him. He was leaning against the walls closest to the elevator and checking his emails on his phone when the doors opened. He was very surprised to see that he was with Olivia but he didn't comment on it right then.

'Fitz, your limo arrived about 5 minutes ago and we need to go now.' he said, grabbing Fitz's arms and pulling him forward. 'It's very nice to see you, Olivia.'

Olivia gave him a tightlipped smile but she decided not to bring up the past. They were supposed to be keeping their relationship under wraps so making a comment then would just give them away. 'You as well, Cyrus.'

Fitz, on the other hand, wasn't going to be as cordial. Once he found out what Cyrus had done, he had full intentions on getting rid of him. He wanted to send out a very strong message that Olivia was going to come first from now on. He pulled his arm away from Cyrus as the three of them began to walk towards the back entrance to the hotel.

'What time is it, Cyrus?' he asked casually before slipping his arm around Olivia's waist. She shot him a disapproving look, but he ignored it. There wasn't anyone going in the same direction as them so nobody could see.

Cyrus held his wrist up so that he could check his watch. 'It's 5:05, Fitz. Which means that—'

'Great. As of 5:05pm, you are officially relieved of your duties as my manager.' he said simply.

'Excuse me?' Cyrus raised his eyebrows. 'What are you talking about?'

'I'm letting you go. You're fired.' he said, putting emphasis on the last word. 'Olivia told me what you did, Cy. It was disrespectful and out of order. You don't meddle in my personal life and that's exactly what you did. I can't keep you around any longer.'

Cyrus looked over at Olivia who simply shrugged her shoulders at him. She had no idea that he was going to fire him over something that happened a year ago, but she couldn't stop him either. She thought that Fitz would at least have a conversation with him and get his side to the story, but apparently he was going straight for the jugular this time. The look on Cyrus' face almost made her feel sorry for him but, he kind of deserved what he was getting.

'Sir, you have got to be kidding me. With all due respect, you're making a huge mistake here!' he said, his face now turning red as he kept up with Fitz's long strides. 'I was doing that to keep you and your legacy safe!'

'I don't want to hear it, Cyrus.' Fitz waved him away as they made it to the door. He opened it so that Olivia could go through then followed behind her.

'I'm sorry, Fitz!' he said, bursting through the door after him. He wasn't as much sorry about what he did but more sorry that he had gotten caught. 'I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries!'

Fitz smiled at Olivia as he opened up the door to her limousine. She kissed his cheek as she got in and he handed her garment bag over to her driver. 'Cyrus, you knew how I felt about Olivia and you've been sitting on this information for months. Now, I have to go. I wish you well in the future.'

'Fitz, just hear me out!' he hollered as he watched Fitz walk over to his own limo. 'Fitz wait a minute! Fitz!' Cyrus yelled, stomping his foot as his face turned bright red.

Olivia was going to take the high road at first but, instead, she stuck her tongue out at Cyrus as her driver started the car and pulled off from the hotel. At this point she was just happy that she and Fitz had gotten everything straightened out but it still felt good to get that out of her system. His limo followed behind hers as they headed towards the arena where the competition would be held. Harrison and Deadra should have already been there and preparing the kitchen for her arrival so she was able to breathe a little easier knowing she wouldn't have as much to do.

A part of her felt a little weird competing against Fitz at this point. Obviously she still wanted to win but, she wanted to see him happy as well. It would be a very bittersweet ending no matter who came out on top today but, they'd cross that bridge once they got to it. Olivia shifted so that she could cross her legs and the soreness in her thighs was a prominent reminder of what she had been doing and who she had been with for the past day. There was going to be an afterparty once the competition was over, but Fitz had made them reservations for a cozy little dinner at an exclusive restaurant. He knew the head chef pretty well, so it was fairly easy to secure a table.

She would only be in town for the next 2 days then she'd be heading back home. Neither of them had mentioned what they'd do about the insane amount of distance, but they'd have to talk about it later. They were both just enjoying each other for now and thats all that mattered to her.

When they pulled up to the arena there were plenty of camera people outside waiting for them. Fitz got out of his vehicle and then walked over to hers so that he could open her door. Olivia was sure not to make too much eye contact with him as she stepped out and began to wave at the small crowd that had gathered. There were two bigger men standing at the doors of the building and they rushed them inside. There was nobody in the back lobby because they show was getting ready to start and most people were buzzing around the stage as they prepared it.

Fitz took her hand once the doors had shut behind them. They would have to break away to their separate corners now that they were there. 'I will see you right after the competition is over.' he assured before leaning down to kiss her lips.

'Don't bother.' she mumbled with a smile. 'I have a hot date tonight.'

'Olivia.' he growled in a way that made her quiver. 'I'm going to give you 5 minutes to bring your pretty ass down here after the award's ceremony.'

'What are you going to do?' her eyebrows quirked. 'Spank me?'

'Don't tempt me.' Fitz warned before kissing her once more.

After one more hug, the two of them went left the lobby area and headed into their dressing rooms to prepare.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So I randomly started writing this one night at like 12am. I really liked my initial idea, but near the middle I fell out of love with it. I wasn't going to post it at first but I decided to share. It's pretty long but I think I summed their story up pretty well. If you guys want, I'll do a short epilogue for them then leave it alone. I don't have much else to say. I a prompt on Pinterest and ran with it.**_

 _ **I want to keep the ending kind of open so just in case you guys didn't want a follow up, you could just imagine who won. I'm sure there will be mixed opinions!**_

 _ **I'm writing this note before Scandal premieres so I hope everyone enjoyed the episode! Until next time!**_


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